Mail-catcher.



L. PALMER.

MAIL GATGHEB.

APPLICATION FILED an 6, 1908.

920,385. Patented May 4, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

42 36 39 ZZ 4/ I I g L. PALMER.

MAIL OATQHEB. APPLICATION-FILED MAY 6, 1906.

Patented May .4, 1909.

3 SHEEN-SHEET 2.

22. /.9 l 55 "@w 27 w L. PALMER.

MAIL UATOHIER.

APPLIOATION Hum MAY6,1908.

' Patented May 4, 1909,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT UFFICE.

MAIL-CATCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 6, 1908.

Patented. May 4, 1909.

Serial No. 431,232.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWELLYN PALMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of ivashington, have invented a new and useful 1 Improvement in a Ma1l-Catcher of which the following is a clear and concise specification.

My invention relates to a mail catcher and deliverer for'the handling of mail for the train while in motion.

The objects of my invention are to provide a device for delivering mail from a moving train and in combination with a device for catching mail; to provide a mail catcher and mail deliverer adapted to the handling of mail from the same platform or tower; to provide a mail catcher and deliverer having a single supporting framework. I acco1nplish these as Well as minor objects by the construction now preferred by me and illus trated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the operation of my device Fig. 2 is a plan view of the catching device secured to the tower; Figs. 3,4,and 5 are detail views of the trippin mechanism; Fig. 6 is a plan view of the catcher secured to the train; Fig. 7 IS a detail view of the bag holder of my device; Fig. 8 is a detail view of the extension arm joint; Fig. 9 is a plan view of the parts of my device which are secured to the train; Fig. 10 is a detail view of the locking pawl of my device; Fig. 11 is a detail view of the locking and retracting means of my device; Fig. 12 is a detail view of the extension arm joint of my device; Figs. 13 and. .14 are detail views of the bag supporting pawl.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views of my device as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

I have provided a supporting framework 1 secured to the mail car 2 of the train by means of the bearings 3 and 4 which ournal the shaft 5 which is rigidly secured. to the lower corner piece 6 and the upper corner piece 7 which supports the upper frame piece 8 and the lower frame piece 9 being sup ported by said corner piece 6. To brace said frame work I have provided an upright 10 and diagonals 11. Said frame pieces 8 and 9 extend beyond said upright 10 and are provided with joint members 12 which are. rigidly secured thereto and have projections 13 adapted to engage like shaped depressions 14 in the fittings 15 whii'sh are rigidly secured to the extension arms 16 and 17, which are provided with the bag holders .8 on the outer extremities thereor having an extension finger l9 and. a hinge piece which yirldingl v supports the mail bag 21 by nu s of the spring 22 thus permitting the b: g to leave said holders 18. in view of the doubli up of the bag on being struck, it is obvio s that the points of support of said bag will be drawn together whicd would cause a bending strain on said extension arms 16 and 17, if it were not for the construction above dcscribcd. Said extension arm 17 is provided with catching device 23 which is preferably U shaped and provided on the open ends thereof with the receiving pieces 24; and 25 which are prefcrabl constructed of channel bars and hingeably secured by the pins 26 and 27 and held in a V shaped position by the springs 28 and 29, thus permitting the mail bag to enter between said pieces which inimcdiatcly close preventing said bag from rcbounding and by reason of the distance between the sides of said catching device 23 being substantially smaller than the disk in the end of mail bag said bag will be positively held therein until removed by the operator. It is obvious by referring to Fig. 1 that if the car r-rcrc traveling in the opposite direction that said arms 16 and 17 would have to be swung 180 as is indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 9. This feature may be readily accomplished by overcoming the springs 30 of said joint members 12 which hold said projections 13 and depressions i i in ci'igagelncnt. Said catching device 23 may be swung on said extension arm l7 by loosening on the screw 81 thus facilitating adjustment to the desired position. To hold said frame work 1 in an extended position I have provided a ratchet tooth and pawl 33 which is operated by the wire 34 accessible from the door 35 of said car Said frznncwork is retracted by means of the spring 36 which is scoured at one end to said car 2 by the fastening 37 and at its opposite end to the upper corner piece 7.

To receive the bags from the train I have provided a catching device 38 having a rectangular frame comprising two side pieces 39 and 40 which may be :nlvantageously constructed of steel channels which are held together by a steel T bar arm 41 whichis rigidly secured thereto. Each end of each side piece is provided with receiving pieces mounted in the same manner as the catching device 23, thus forming a V shaped opening which permits the bag to enter but 1m1ned1- ately resumes the normal position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 oi the accompanying drawings. Said T bar arm 41 is pivotally con nected to the member 42 wh' h is swingin l mounted. from the tower 43 means of the pintles and 45 which journaled in the 46 and 47.

lo support the to be caught by the train I have provided the supporting piece 4-8 which is secured to said T bar arm ell and is provided with a spring member 4-9 which yieldingly supports the mail ba 56. To prevent said bag from swaying l have provided a spring member 51 secured to the spring 52 which is swingingly secured to the platform 53 by the fitting 54%. Said. T bar arm is held in the extended position by the trip arm 55 provided with a concave under surface 56 at substantially the free end thereof adapted to receive the edge of the rib 57 of said T bar arm. Said trip arm 55 is secured to the bearing supporting casting 58 of said tower 43. Thus it will be seen that when the bag strikes said catching device which is secured to said arm that said rib 57 will be thrown out of said engagerent with said concave surface 56 and that said arm all and parts attached thereto will drop as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.

1 do not wish to be limited to the specific construction herein described but wish to depart from such details as are within the scope of my patent.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent ol the United States is:

1. In a mail catching and delivering apparatus, a swingingly mounted framework, swingingly mounted extension arms secured thereto and adapted to support a mail bag, and a catching device secured to one of said extension arms.

2'. in a mail catching and delivering apparatus, a swingingly mounted framework, swingingly mounted extension arms secured thereto and adapted to support a mail bag, a catching device secured to one of said e2;- tension arms, means for adjusting said catching device and extension arms secured thereto to accommodate either direction of travel of the train.

3. In a mail catching and delivering apparatus, a swingingly mounted framework, swingingly mounted extension arms secured thereto and adapted to support a mail bag, a catching device secured to one of said extension arms,-a tower means for adjusting said catching device and extension arms relative to said tower, means whereby a mail hag may he supported by said tower and a catching device secured to said supporting means and adapted to receive the dag supported by the car all to catch and deliver mail in bags substantially simultaneously from a moving train.

4. in a mail catching and delivering device, a tower, a catching device supported thereby comprising side arms, spring retracted receiving pieces s'wingingly secured thereto to permit the mail bag to enter therebetween and to prevent said bag from rebounding from said catching device.

5. in a mail catching and delivering device, a tower, a catching device supported thereby comprising side arms, spring retracted receiving pieces swingingly secured thereto to permit the mail bag to enter therebetween and to prevent said bag from rebounding from said catching device, means whereby said catching device may be tripped by the force of a blow from said bag while in motion.

6. In a mail catching and delivering device, a tower, an arm vertically and horizontally swingingly mounted thereon, means secured to said arm for supporting a mail bag, a spring retracted framework secured to the car, extension arms adapted to sup port a mail bag swingingly secured thereto, a mail catching device secured to one of said extension arms and adapted to receive the bag supported by the tower.

7. In a mail catching and delivering device, tower, an arm vertically and horizontally swingingly mounted thereon, means secured to said arm for supporting a mail bag, a spring retracted framework secured to the car, extension arms adapted to support a mail bag swingingly secured thereto, a mail catching device secured to one of said extension arms and adapted to receive the bag supported by the tower, a catching de vice secured to said tower adapted to receive said mail bag which is secured to the train.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribin witnesses.

LEEVELLYN PALMER.

' 1tnesses: V

I. H. SEABURY, T. L. MoRRow. 

